Dalai Lama preaches humanity, happiness during Massachusetts visit

Thursday

Apr 30, 2009 at 12:01 AMApr 30, 2009 at 2:54 AM

With hands gently pressed together and eyes connecting with a crowd of anxious members of the local and foreign press, His Holiness the Dalai Lama fielded questions about human rights, the country’s economy crisis, President Barack Obama, and his eventual return back to Tibet.

Jillian Fennimore

With hands gently pressed together and eyes connecting with a crowd of anxious members of the local and foreign press, His Holiness the Dalai Lama fielded questions about human rights, the country’s economy crisis, President Barack Obama, and his eventual return back to Tibet.

After a delayed flight at Logan Airport, the Dalai Lama, 74, made it to Cambridge’s Charles Hotel on Wednesday, beginning a four-day visit to the Boston area for a number of public addresses and lectures on Buddhism.

“In order to have happiness and humanity … we have to look more into our mind and our consciousness,” he said to a room of flashing cameras and strict security.

The Tibetan spiritual leader also plans to hold events on Thursday at MIT and Harvard University, along with an all-day conference at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on May 2.

On Wednesday, the Dalai Lama even took time to answer questions about how he compares the Obama administration to George Bush’s.

“He is a very close friend, so I love him … but as far as his policies are concerned, sometimes he can be very difficult,” the Dalai Lama said about the former president with a contagious smile and laugh.